Go Cong Altar Cabinet Village is located in Ong Non Hamlet, Tan Trung Commune, Go Cong Town, Tien Giang Province, 40 km from My Tho City to the east.
According to Mr. Ngo Van Duc, the 84-year-old master carpenter and the owner of about ten workshops, in the mid-nineteenth century, at Go Cong area appeared the four-brother group Mr. Vuong Van Non from North Vietnam coming here to make a fresh start. In their luggage, especially, there was an altar cabinet of two-pillar style and the knowledge of carpentry. The four-brother group developed the altar cabinet carpentry and taught the occupation for the people in the area. Gradually, many of the people in the area lived on the work. This place became the altar cabinet village.
In time, the cabinets have still been preserved traditional characters. They have been made from khaya wood and encrusted with mother-of-pearl, which makes them flickering and mysterious. Every part of the cabinets has been connected to each other with wooden nails
Thanks to the loving heart of artists and admiration of near and far people, the design of the cabinets is more and more improved. In time, the cabinets look stronger and stronger with 19, 21, 29, even 30 pillars. Before, on the front of the cabinets, the craftsmen only encrusted flower pictures but now, they encrust more pictures of Chinese folktales. Entrusting technology is very skillful, which make the Go Cong Altar Cabinet beautiful and solemn.
With their good reputation, Go Cong Altar Cabinets are now present from South to North Vietnam. They are decorated in some well-known places such as Hung King Temple in Phu Tho and Ho Chi Minh Temple in Sen Village, Nghe An. They present even in foreign countries where there are Vietnamese residents living.
Nowadays, the Traditional Altar Cabinet Carpentry Village in Go Cong becomes “red address” attracting many tourists and clients. In addition, Go Cong is the native land of King Tu Duc’s mother – Lady Tu Du and Queen Phuong Nam. Go Cong is also the native of national heroes as Truong Dinh, Vo Tanh. 10km from the center of Go Cong Town, you can visit Truong Dinh mausoleum, royal mausoleum area including to the temple and Lady Tu Du’s father. Here you can also visit ancient houses having since Friend colonial period, especially, Mr. Chanh Palace.
Go Cong Altar Cabinet Village is one of the famous traditional trade villages in the Mekong River Delta. If you have a chance to travel to Tien Giang Province, do not forget to visit this special trade village. By the way, you can also ancient sites nearby.
